Lost Cause
by Lost Prussian Soul
Summary: Gilbert is just a lonely foster kid, tired of being tossed around from family to family. But once He thinks he'll never find his place, he meets Ivan Braginsky. Naturally Gilbert tries to push the Russian away, but as they get closer Gilbert learns that he doesn't have to be alone. And maybe, just maybe, they can mend eachother's broken hearts.
1. Chapter 1

hm so I decided to write another fic, and I've recently adopted a new OTP, ah, RusPrus. So that's what this will be. Sorry for not updating my other fic, I got busy with school and moving to my new house that I couldn't find time to update it. I want to focus more on this story for a while, so updates on Siren will be a bit slow. I do hope that you guys enjoy this story though, I know I'm gonna enjoy writing this one! To all who just got here, thank you for reading and reveiws are always appreciated. Apologies to any grammar mistakes, and I don't own hetalia. Obviously.

ALso before I forget, their is a slight trigger warning. It'll come in later chapters, but there will be language, drinking, bullying, a bit of self harm and some violence (mentions of abuse.) 

~Jaysen

Chapter One.

_Two young boys stood at the doors of a large house, sheltered from the pouring rain by the edge of the roof. One was just a toddler, crystal blue eyes wide with fear and curiosity. His blonde hair was soaking from the rain, and he shook from the cold. The small boy grasped his older brother's hand tightly, shying behind him. The other boy looked to be about five, pale skin and silver hair seeming to almost glow in the grey sunset. His eyes greatly contrasted with the rest of his soft, yet strange features, a detailed pair of crimson irises laced with nervousness._

_ The littler of the two squeezed his brother's hand, looking up at the albino. "Gilbert... What if they don't like us? I'm scared, where are Mutti and Vati?" The little boy's light blue eyes filled with tears, looking up to his brother for desparate answers. The eldest laughed, trying to cheer his brother up. He knew his brother was young and most likely didn't understand what was going on, Gilbert himself couldn't quite grasp their situation either. But he had to be strong for his little brother._

_ "Don't cry, Luddy!" The albino gave him a smile, even though that was quite hard for him at the moment. "Mutti and Vati are in another place, at least that's what the one lady told me. She also said that these people will take their place for awhile, and they're gonna treat us like they did. But we don't have to call them Mutti and Vati, unless you want to." He explained, in the best way his broken English and five year old logic could muster._

_ Ludwig looked confused for a moment, before nodding slowly. "So it's gonna be okay?" He asked, still uncertain. They were both so young, so unsure of how to take this and what was to come. What was going to happen? Where exactly were their parents? They were all questions Gilbert didn't have clear answers to, there was nothing he had to reassure his younger brother with. He paused for a moment, before ruffling his brother's hair._

_ "Ja. We'll be okay." He reassured, uncertainty laced through his voice. Ludwig only nodded, grabbing his brother's hand as the German walked up to the door, moving to grab the paper with words he couldn't read from his pocket. Someone had given it to him earlier, telling him to give it to the people at the door. He thought it was strange how just days ago they were all eating dinner together, and now the both of them had no idea where their parents were._

_ Their social worker had left them confused, too kind-hearted to tell them the truth. They were just young boys, still so carefree and innocent. She'd doubted that Ludwig, being as young as he was, even knew what death was. It was just too much to place on their still fragile shoulders. For now they'd been placed in foster care, no family left to take care of them. The boys didn't even know what the term was, they just knew they'd be staying with someone else for a while. Maybe, at least, until their parents came back._

_ They knew so little._

_ Taking a nervous step forward, Gilbert clutched the paper in his hand and rang the doorbell. His brother hid behind him, his small hand still holding tightly to three of Gilbert's fingers. The German bit his lip, waiting._

_ "Don't worry. Like I said, we'll be okay." Were the last words he whispered before the door opened._

XxxX

Almost twelve years later the same memory flashed through Gilbert's mind as he stared up at the doors to his new highschool. The year had just started which was sort of a plus, he'd been transferred yet again just days earlier. He wouldn't have much to catch up on since it was only the third day of school. He wasn't the brightest student either, but he could never seem to stay in one place for too long, not very many foster parents wanted to deal with his natural trouble-making nature. That being said, he switched schools often and could never quite pick up to the pace other students his age were learning at. No one paid much attention to it though, it was almost like it was expected out of a kid like him, and maybe it was.

Foster kids usually never had high expectations from normal people. At least, that's how it was in Gilbert's head. It was like his lower-than-average status was written all over him, and he felt like everyone could tell. Even those who, in reality, knew him to be nothing but the cocky German bastard who sat in detention for a living.

He smiled to himself, that's probably who he'd become at this school too.

For a moment he wondered how his brother was doing, if he was going to school at this time. His brother had been adopted just a few years earlier. Ludwig was skeptical of the idea at first, but Gilbert had insisted he take the offer. Who wouldn't want someone like Ludwig, anyway? Even though Gilbert was jealous of his brother's luck, he was just happy that the other wasn't in the chaotic cycle of being tossed around as much as he was. The two still wrote to eachother often, though Gilbert still had yet to reply to his brother's email since being sent here.

He'd have to do that soon.

But now clearly wasn't the time to be thinking of such things, if he wanted to take the small sliver of a chance he had at not being late. He probably would've been late anyway, but stereotypically the new student was always late. Gilbert just hoped his teachers would let him off easy.

XxxX

The day passed by mostly uneventful, and Gilbert was anxious for school to be over. Surprisingly he hadn't caused too much trouble, but the assignment that was about to be given to him would put him over the edge.

Getting here just before school started there weren't many classes for him to choose from, and hesitant he was to take anything he chose creative writing. So maybe he was a bit troubled and naturally looked down on by most people, but he was actually quite the author if he ever took the time to just sit down, and pour his feelings out over paper. No one had ever seen his work though, he didn't want anyone to see it and even if he did, he figured no one would care anyway.

It was quite obvious, but well hidden that Gilbert didn't think much of himself.

Clicking his pen absentmindedly he looked down at the blank sheet in his notebook. _Write about your biggest regret,_ the teacher had said, _no one else has to read it._

But... what was his biggest regret? Gilbert had done a lot of things he wish he hadn't, but they were all small things compared to his biggest regret. He could lie, and write something else, but...

"Gilbert Beilschmidt, Ivan Braginsky." The teacher looked down at Gilbert's blank paper, along with the Russian boy who sat next to him, whose paper was also blank.

Gilbert had never gotten a very good look at the boy next to him, but as the teacher called them out, he looked over to study the figure next to him. Platinum blonde hair shaded soft violet eyes, and though the other looked like he could easily beat up anyone in the whole school he seemed to try and hide his face in the fleece scarf wrapped around his neck. Why was he wearing that anyway? To Gilbert it was rather hot in the room, and for a moment he'd even contemplated taking his jacket off.

He almost hadn't heard the teacher, too busy studying the boy next to him.

"You two, see me after class. School's almost over." She said sternly, striding back to her desk.

_Oh, Gott,_ the Germaa thought, resting his head on his desk. _I'm so screwed._

ehhhhhhh so maybe? kinda short, I dunno.

whatever.

sorry, it's 1 a.m as I finish typing this and I honestly thought I'd get done earlier.

I can't really write during the day even if it is spring break because my mom usually puts me to work unpacking since we just moved.


	2. Chapter 2

So I thought,

_I'm gonna update today!_

_Just not on my laptop._

So I'm typing this and posting this chapter from my phone to see if it's any better, because my laptop glitched and made a bunch of typos In the first chapter, which I need to fix.

On my laptop.

Ugh. ._.

Sooooo without further a do I bring you mein latest update. :D

Hetalia's not mine btw,

Please review and stuff,

And…

Yeah, I don't have much to say.

Slight trigger warning maybe in this chapter.

~Jaysen

**XxxX**

Chapter Two.

Gilbert let his head fall back as the bell finally rung, signalling the end of school.

For the other students, at least.

Why did he even have to stay after class? He couldn't think of anything to write, it wasn't his fault. _Stupid, I could be out of here and getting back to Luddy. This is such a waste of time… _he thought, groaning quietly as he watched the rest of the students leave, all except for the male next to him. _Why does this teacher even care? I'm probably not going to last up to the end of the semester. I'll be out and gone by that time._

His pondering was cut short as the teacher approached the two of them, he'd almost forgotten the Russian next to him. Habitually he bit his lip, still eager to get this over with. How would his foster father react if he came home late? He already wasn't the best man to mess around with, but he couldn't technically be moved again unless the man decided Gilbert was too much trouble to handle or the German had proof that his "dad" wasn't doing what he was supposed to be. Not that his foster parent was abusive, but he wasn't much of the fatherly type. Borderline neglectful, but Gilbert didn't mind being alone. He could take care of himself. He always had, in a way.

Crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair, he waited for the lecture he was sure to receive. The teacher glanced down at their empty notebooks, a stern but sympathetic look in her eyes.

"Boys, this is unacceptable. I know you're both a bit troubled, but it doesn't mean you can't get away with not doing your work. Surely you must have had something to write, no one's going to read it." Gilbert had already tuned her out with his thoughts. Troubled? That was really the word she used to describe him?

I_'m not troubled. Why does everyone automatically assume that about me? Troubled. I'm anything but, thanks for asking before you slap the label on me… _he almost rolled his eyes, until the next thing his teacher said caught his attention.

"Maybe you two should work together. I think you'd make good friends, and," she eyed Gilbert for a moment. "Someone's grades aren't as high as they could be." Gilbert huffed, muttering something in german under his breath.

"I don't need friends." Gilbert replied with a bored tone, leaning forward. His statement was somewhat a lie, but the German preferred to be alone. Though he was quite the attention-seeker, he did it by being troublesome instead of surrounding himself with fake people. Besides, he never stayed in one place long enough to keep a stable friendship, so what was the point of one? He'd had to grow up too fast to enjoy something as childish as a friend, so he didn't bother with it. But his teacher only gave him a slightly-sympathetic look, unimpressed with his attitude.

"Everybody deserves friends, Gilbert." She argued, sighing. The albino only shook his head, he'd always been one to argue. It was just part of his personality and it created distraction.

"I never said I didn't deserve friends! I just don't need them, there's no point in those kinds of relationships. You can't just willingly trus—" but the teacher cut him off.

"Alright, alright. That's enough from you." Her expression had gone from sympathetic to stern in a moment. Gilbert only huffed and leant back against his seat again, crossing his arms in disappointment. He glanced back to the boy next to him, what was his name again? Ah, yes, he remembered now, Ivan was it? Ivan something-in-Russian-he-didn't-know. Their eyes met for a split second before the other looked away, he'd been silent this whole time. The teacher sighed once more, pushing both their notebooks back toward them.

"Look, boys, I just don't want you failing this class. Or any other classes, for that matter." She glanced at Gilbert once more.

"You just have to write something! It doesn't even have to be in English if you're that uncomfortable, I know the both of you are fluent in more than one language. Use it to your advantage." She suggested, giving the two of them a soft smile.

"Now go! Ivan, maybe you could lend Gilbert a ride home." She seemed persistent of the 'friend' idea, but Gilbert wasn't in for any of this shit.

In fact, he'd already left the room, leaving the Russian in the dust. Ivan only sighed, slinging his bag over his shoulder. Wishing the teacher a goodbye he walked out, catching a glimpse of the German, just before he turned the corner. Maybe he could catch up to him? But to Ivan the albino surely didn't look like he wanted any part of this, and he couldn't have been any more correct.

Still, he would try. It didn't take long for him to catch up to Gilbert, the other male was walking at a rather slow pace now, almost as if he dreaded walking out of the school doors. In a way that was true, but Gilbert was also eager to bust out of this pit of hell they called school.

Eventually Ivan's steps fell in time with the shorter male's, and after a few awkward seconds the question came.

"Do you want a ride—" the Russian started to ask shyly, before Gilbert interrupted him.

"No." His voice was sharp, ice cold. Ivan bit his lip, burying his nose in his scarf. So much for a friend, when the other obviously wanted nothing to do with him, or anyone else for that matter. Gilbert just had a tough shell to break.

But it was starting to become awkward again, and not knowing what to do Ivan continued to follow the German. And soon enough in the silence of the empty halls the soft pitter patter of rain could be heard on the roof, gradually getting louder. It had been rather cloudy this morning, but Gilbert hadn't expected heavy rain! Even a sprinkle would've been okay at this point!

_This is just what I need, _he thought, biting his lip and sighing.

"Are you sure you're okay? It's raining and if you're walking…" The Russian spoke again, his voice soft, almost as if he was afraid of Gilbert's outburst.

"Like I said, I'm fine! I don't even have to walk that far, and it's just a little rain." The German crossed his arms, biting his lip once more as he stared out the glass doors of the school. Needless to say, it was more than just a _little _bit of rain.

"Won't you get drenched out there?" Gilbert could barely hear the voice behind him, before he whipped around to look up at the Russian. He was a hell of a lot shorter than the other but it didn't stop his own self anger.

"I don't care! I wasn't even going home anyway, why do you even bother? I thought it was obvious I didn't want to talk to you. If you're looking for a friend, you've come to the wrong person. So just…" he turned back to the door, shaking his head and pushing it open.

"Just stay away from me. You won't find any good here." And with that Gilbert ran out into the rain, disappearing amongst the think sheets of water that fell from the sky.

He was already drenched by the time he ran from the almost-empty school parking lot, barely able to see through the pouring rain. Gilbert wasn't going home, not tonight.

Why did he call it home? He didn't feel like he belonged there. He tried to avoid it as much as possible. Sure he could be alone there, but…

Being being alone and being by himself were two different things, in his mind.

Gilbert was already out of breath now, soaking wet. But just where was he running? The library, also known as his quiet safe haven of books and computers. He just _had _to reply to his brother's email. He didn't have a phone, or laptop, or anything that most students his age considered a necessity, but Gilbert found his own ways to keep in touch.

Gilbert didn't stop running until he reached the doors of the place, barely stopping himself from skidding in a puddle as he grabbed the doorknob, throwing it open. He heaved for a moment to regain his breath. The German didn't care if he was soaking wet, he wasn't going back out in the rain. He'd just have to wait it out here, which wasn't a problem for him. He'd just apologize for tracking water in here.

Walking back to one of the secluded desks in the corner of the library he set his bag down, practically falling into the desk chair, letting his head rest up against the back of it. Gilbert closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath.

The sound of the rain against the roof of the library was soothing as Gilbert turned on the computer, logging into his email account. His inbox was empty as he'd already read Ludwig's email, he'd just never gotten around to replying. Opening a new tab, he began to write.

_Hey Luddy! I know it's been awhile and I haven't replied, but don't worry. I'm not dead yet, haha. School just started too, and it's unawesome as usual! When is it not anyway? And because I got here late they wouldn't let me choose my classes, so I got stuck in creative writing. I don't mind it much but I could've gotten something better. Shows the luck I've got, huh? But guess what! When I moved in a few days ago the social worker mentioned you and said that maybe I could come visit sometime this year! :DDD it's been like three years since I last saw my little bruder, I wonder if he's grown? Maybe taller than me? Last time I saw you, you barely came passed the top of my head. Pff, I don't think I've gotten much taller since then. If I do get to see you though, I can't wait. Hopefully I can soon, but I may be moving again. You know how long I last with people, I'd be surprised if I make it to the end of this semester. I hope you're doing well, better than I am. I'm trying, I guess. I should be used to moving so often now but I guess it's different when you're moving in with someone you only vaguely know from what the social worker tells you. My foster dad, yeah… not that fatherly._

_But I'll be fine! I always am in the end, aren't I?_

_I don't really have much left to talk about, so… get back to me when you can. I'll try to reply sooner. Sorry if I worried you._

Gilbert read over the letter, sighing.

He would be fine in the end, he kept telling his brother, even if it didn't seem like the truth. He really, _really _hoped his social worker would let him see Ludwig. He would have to try and behave, the German was pretty sure his record was already fucked up enough as it was. So maybe he's made some mistakes, or been blamed for things he didn't do, but it always seemed to come back on him.

It was like life was out to get him, to hurt him, only to come back and tell him that someone had it worse off.

Resting his head on his arm he pressed send, not even bothering to sign the email. He logged off, closing his eyes and listening to the soft sound of the rain falling against this building, the quiet thunder that drummed in the distance. Gilbert let his tense shoulders relax, and he laid there for a moment, his head in his arms.

He hadn't gotten any sleep the night before, which wasn't abnormal for him. The first few nights in every new house were uncomfortable. Gilbert figured that was normal for any kid like him.

After a few moments the albino's eyes drifted open, he'd totally forgotten about his notebook! The teacher only told him to write his biggest regret, she never said how long it had to be. One sentence, just one sentence and then he could relax and forget for a little longer.

Taking his notebook and pencil out he flipped to the first blank page.

_'Vertrauen.' _Were the first letters written on the page, messy, slanted script decorating the once blank space. But after a moment, one word turned into two, two into a sentence, a sentence into a paragraph and before Gilbert knew it he'd poured his emotions out onto the once empty page.

The albino skimmed over his writing, a variation of German and English words, all mixed and jumbled together, just as his thoughts were. His handwriting was neat but not tidy, and his script slanted ever so slightly.

It was almost as if Gilbert had quite literally poured the words onto the page, the jumbled graphite letters staining the perfectly blank surface, not quite organized in a way anybody could read it correctly. The words even spilled over the page, into the margins and packed between the lines.

Clenching his pencil in his hand he almost slammed the book shut, shaking his head and laying his head down again.

The albino shut his scarlet orbs tightly, clenching his teeth. He couldn't write any more, not now.

Faint memories clouded his mind, and soon enough he'd fallen into a restless sleep, lulled away by the soft approaching thunder.

**XxxX**

Soooo I need you guys help! This won't come until later chapters, but the social worker makes an appearance :DD bUT I haven't decided who they should be yet! I kind of wanted them to be Elizabeta because she's kind of motherly and the two would have a platonic relationship— but I thought that might be a little… weird, maybe?

I might make her the social worker, but this is where you guys come in. If you'd suggest me characters— preferably female with kind of a motherly/sisterly attitude to fill the character slot, that would be awesome! If I don't get any suggestions, I'll probably make them Eliza. But if you're all for that idea, just tell me!


	3. Chapter 3

Gilbert had woken up from the first mere minutes of sleep he'd gotten in days due to a rather loud crash of thunder, just in time before the library would close for the night. He assumed it to be late evening, but the sky was so dim with clouds the evening sunset was almost invisible, spare the tints of muted orange, blue and purple that stained the grey clouds with remnants of the setting sun.

Quickly the albino gathered his things, slinging his bag over his shoulder. With one last wave to the librarian, he trudged home in the now sprinkling rain.

_Home._

The word had no definition to him.

By the time Gilbert had reached the front door, the rain had dissolved into nothing more than a mist, but the thunder and lightning still played their song from the sunset-stained clouds.

The german was careful upon entering the house, leaving his soaked shoes by the door and trudging up the stairs to sequester himself in his room. It was his normal routine nowadays, he figured he caused enough trouble to get himself in and out of places. Besides, he was starting to run out of energy to purposely bring him attention. It was something he barely wanted, yet he craved more than anything at the same time. His own actions that he never bothered to think through brought him all the trouble he needed.

Who wanted to spend time with him anyway? Sure enough Gilbert's foster father didn't want to, but the feeling was mutual. He just wanted the attention because he knew nobody wanted him anyway, but just because the albino appeared hostile didn't mean he didn't want someone to comfort him. Gilbert had just built walls— a thick shell to protect himself from the love he knew if he received, would only cause him pain.

Or so it seemed, to him.

Eagerly the German peeled off his soaked clothes, tossing them to the floor and changing into something dry and more comfortable. He fell onto his bed, fingers finding his old baby blanket as he cradled it close to his small figure, burying his face into the one familiar scent he cherished.

He clutched the old, dark blue fabric as if it were a lifeline, shutting his eyes tightly and letting out a shuttering breath.

It was the one thing he'd managed to keep after all these years, the one thing he wasn't willing to lose or give away. It was the last memory he had of his parents, the last sliver of remembrance he could pull from the deepest parts of his mind. He vowed to never let it go, even as young as he was. He bit his lip.

Ludwig was even younger, he probably didn't even remember their parents. It saddened Gilbert a bit, but at least his brother was as happy as he could get where he was now. At least, that was what he hoped. He would ask next chance he got.

Gilbert laid there for what seemed like hours, and at that point he knew that tonight was going to be sleepless.

_Nothing out of the ordinary tonight, _he thought, sighing in defeat. Well, if he wasn't going to sleep, he might as well do something.

Gilbert looked toward his bag, the corner of his writing book sticking out.

Well, it was better than waiting for the sun to rise. Reaching over from his bed he grabbed the book, digging a pencil from his bag and grabbing the flashlight that sat on his bedside table.

Turning the flashlight on he aimed the dim beam of light over his now open notebook, staring down at the jumbled mess of words before him.

Biting his lip, he threw the page aside to reveal another blank space. Gilbert took a deep inhale, thinking as he stared down at the white-and-blue lined surface. He sat there for what seemed like hours, before hesitantly pressing the graphite to the blank page. The german once again lost himself as he began to write, finishing off just minutes later.

He stared down at his new work, reading over the perfect english written in sloppy script. But instead of a whole page sat one lone stanza, centred between the blue lines.

_He tasted life's bitter cup;_

_Refused to drink the portion up._

_But turned his crimson gaze aside,_

_Disgusted with the taste and died._

Biting his lip once more he shut the book, tossing it to the side once more.

Gilbert couldn't even trust _himself._

And that was even worse than being alone.

**XxxX**

The sun had just started to ease over the morning horizon, the sky painted tints of pink and tangerine, fading out into the leftover darkness and stained by the wispy remains of storm clouds. It overlooked the small, yet busy apartment complex that Gilbert for now resided in. It would have been a beautiful sight to wake up to, but the German had spent all night waiting for it. He'd seen many sunrises such as this from everywhere he'd been, but everywhere he went they were all different. Something new to ponder over, but Gilbert's energy was running even lower and though he couldn't seem to find sleep, he couldn't seem to force himself to start moving either.

His head rested on his arms that laid on the cold wood of his windowsill, continuing to watch as the sun inched its way over as far as he could see, shoving the darkness away for another long day. It seemed to take forever but Gilbert finally found the strength to get up from his desk chair which he'd set in front of the small window, stretching and letting out a long, drawn-out yawn.

Reluctantly his gaze lingered on the window for a moment, catching the last glimpse of the sunrise-stained sky. Shaking his head he turned around, slipping on his jacket and changing into a clean pair of jeans. Grabbing his pencil and stuffing his notebook back into his bag, Gilbert was careful upon leaving as not to encounter his foster father. He hadn't been very fond of the man in the beginning, and wasn't going to waste his time trying to get attention from him. The German didn't want it anyway, he figured if he wasn't planning on staying long he didn't need to get close to anyone.

The ground was still damp from the previous night's downpour, and Gilbert was more than glad he'd left early. It gave him time to linger, examining the aftermath of last night's storm. The air was still humid and a bit chilly, and drops of dew shined on blades of grass that sprouted from the cracks between the sidewalk. Barely concave slabs of concrete, covered with pools of rippling mirrors that reflected the sun's morning light.

He ran through a puddle, successfully soaking his still-damp shoes once more. Gilbert hated the feeling of wet shoes, but what did it matter? That had been a bit of fun anyway, and he'd take it over complaining about soaked sneakers any day.

**XxxX**

Most of the day had passed by uneventful, but it seemed that Gilbert couldn't go a day by without stirring up some trouble, even if he got away with it. Which was rare as in reality he wasn't very sneaky, but every once in a while no one paid attention long enough for him to succeed.

Except this time, he wasn't so sure.

It had all happened in the time after gym, more specifically, the boys locker room. It had to be one of the worst places in the world, but admittedly it made the perfect place for a game of grab-and-run.

And this time Gilbert had his eyes on a pair of earbuds, _good quality _looking ones at that, and was just waiting for the right moment to snatch them. The cord hung loosely from someone's gym bag, of which he guessed belonged to Alfred (probably the biggest jerk in school.), seeing as it was decorated with american flag and bald eagle stickers the were either starting to peel off or covered in filth.

But those earbuds looked so _nice, _and he'd always wanted a pair of his own. Gilbert didn't exactly know what he'd use them for, but he knew the computers in the library had headphone jacks, so if he did end up getting away with this he could use them for _something._

Making sure the room was empty, Crimson orbs scanned the room to find that no one else was there.

Taking his chance Gilbert stood from where he currently hid, taking a bobby pin he'd found on the floor out of his pocket. Quietly he began to pick the lock of Alfred's gym locker, awaiting his stolen prize inside.

Little did he know, he wasn't alone.

Curious Violet eyes watched the other carefully, struggling to pick the lock. What he was trying to get to? Ivan didn't know, but one thing he did know, Gilbert was only going to get himself in trouble. In truth the Russian wasn't very fond of Alfred, though the American claimed them as friends even if they were more of enemies than that. Reality was Ivan could care less if Alfred's stuff got stolen, but even still, Gilbert looked so _desperate _for what ever he was trying to get inside.

Finally standing up, Ivan decided to take his chance.

"What are you doing?"

Gilbert froze, breath hitching in his throat as the room went deadly silent. The bobby pin fell from his fingers, making a soft _clang _as it hit the floor. The small noise seemed to echo through the room in the quiet, shattering it as almost-fearful crimson orbs met the curious Violet gaze that towered above him. Gilbert cursed under his breath, finally breaking the eye contact that was almost painful to hold.

"Why do you care?" Gilbert's words were just as harsh and cold as their small conversation from yesterday, as if the same events were repeating themselves. Ivan paused for a moment, studying the albino.

He looked nervous, almost.

"Because Alfred is my… friend…" Ivan paused for a moment, before nodding.

"And I don't think he would appreciate it if you took his stuff." He finished, a bit uncertain of how Gilbert would react. Not that he was afraid of the German, just a bit concerned. He always seemed to be doing something he wasn't supposed to, and Ivan couldn't help but be curious about him.

"So what? The swine deserves it, and I don't think he would mind if he lost a pair of earbuds." The albino retorted, crossing his arms.

_So that's what he wants, _Ivan thought. "You don't have any?" He asked, violet gaze shifting back to Alfred's locker. It was quite the obvious question, and in a way he already knew the answer.

But Gilbert only laughed. It was a small, sad laugh, almost like the crack of the voice in someone who was about to cry. The albino only turned his back to Ivan, starting toward the door of the locker room.

"I have nothing." Gilbert's voice was almost a whisper, and before Ivan knew it he was alone again, the echo of the door shutting bouncing off the walls of the room.

_Nothing…? _Ivan began to wonder again, what did he mean by nothing? He wanted to find out, but there was no way that he could catch up to Gilbert now, and sure as hell the other wouldn't want to talk to him anyway, judging by their previous conversations.

Maybe he would find out one day.

**XxxX**

Something good always comes from everything. This seldom ever happened in Gilbert's case, but occasionally he would get the better of a situation.

Who knew if this would end good or not, but the albino was in for a surprise when school let out. Standing outside waiting for him was Elizabeta, also known as his social worker and the only person he could really call a friend, even though she was older than him. She was fairly new to his case, just out of law school the first time they met. But the two of them seemed to click even if it took a bit of coaxing for Gilbert to realize that she wasn't _just _another social worker that was specifically there to handle his case.

No, Elizabeta (or Eliza, Gilbert referred to her just to tease her.) was a lot more than she appeared to be. She actually had quite the fun personality and got along with even the most difficult people, one of them being Gilbert especially. She was good at getting her way, and could be stern if she wanted to.

Eliza also had a boyfriend, Roderich, and though Gilbert rarely ever saw him the two did _not _get along at all.

"Hey, kiddo!" She called as Gilbert approached, ruffling his hair. The albino only laughed, swatting her hand away.

"What are you even doing here? It's not fall break yet!" Gilbert exclaimed, but Eliza only laughed.

"I have good news for you! And I brought you a surprise. Consider it an early Christmas present, since I won't see you for most of December. _Hopefully _I won't see you for most of December, you and trouble have quite the relationship." She raised an eyebrow, to which Gilbert mimicked her expression, following Eliza to her car, or really, her company car. He'd been in the thing more than once, and though it wasn't technically Elizabeta's she sure had made it that way. Sure, from the outside it looked professional, but the interior came close to the cluttered-ness of a sixteen year old girl's first car, even though Eliza had graduated from college more than two years ago.

"What do you mean relationship? Trouble is my only friend." Gilbert's tone was playful, but in a way it was the truth.

"Hey! I thought I was your friend!" Eliza retorted with mock anger. Gilbert rolled his eyes, opening the door to the car and sliding into the front seat.

"Sure, but you're also a social worker." He paused for a moment, waiting for her to get in beside him. "And your boyfriend's a fucking Beethoven fanboy." He snickered, and accusingly she pointed a finger at him.

"Ay, watch your language. I'll give you a reason to be good for this semester, if you want to see your brother." Eliza put the key in ignition, and a smile lit up Gilbert's face.

"Luddy! But what did DHS say about that anyway? Can I really see him?" He asked, eyes hopeful for the answer he'd been looking for.

Elizabeta smiled at his excited-ness, and replied simply, "January."

"Yes!" Gilbert cried, setting his head up against the dashboard.

"Please tell me you're not kidding. This isn't something you can joke about, I swear if you're—" Eliza only laughed and nodded.

"No, Gil. I'm not kidding. If you can keep your act together until Christmas than you get to see him." She explained. "And please at least _try _to behave, okay? You just finished your probation period and if it weren't for that I would have barely scraped getting you out of a group home. And I know for a fact that you hated that more than you probably hate being in the foster system, am I right?" She paused for a moment, waiting to see if he had an answer.

Silence settled over them.

"I swear Gilbert if I have to come to court for something like that—"

"Okay! Okay, I get it!" Gilbert interrupted harshly, the positive mood instantly disappearing.

"That wasn't even my fault! You knew that, everyone knew that! But did anyone care about my side of the story? No, because I'm…" he couldn't finish.

"So maybe I did some shit, Eliza, but I got someone else's sentence." Gilbert finished, leaning back in the seat and crossing his arms. It was silent for a moment, before Elizabeta sighed and tossed him a small wrapped box.

"Look, I'm sorry. Just open it." She said softly, reaching out to pat his shoulder, but pulling away.

Turning his gaze to her for a moment he looked back to the box, tearing off the paper to reveal the thick, pristine white cardboard of a new cell phone box.

Unfortunately Gilbert had ruined the moment with his outburst and couldn't find it in himself to act excited, but a small smile crossed his features as he held the box up to Elizabeta.

"Where did you even get this? I bet it's a fake, and you put something really stupid inside this box." He claimed, gently shaking the box near his ear.

Eliza only smiled. "No, I'm serious. It's a company phone, see for yourself. I went through the trouble to get DHS to let you have one, because I know you really don't have that much stuff." She shrugged, urging him to open the box.

Gilbert slowly lifted the lid, and sure enough, the reflective glass touchscreen of the smartphone rested in the box, along with a few plastic-wrapped cables and a USB cube. His smile only grew at the gift, as if he was dreaming. Was this real? Was this really his?

"Oh my god." The albino whispered, shaking his head. "Is this really for me? Thank you, Eliza. Danke, thank you, whatever. You're literally the best person ever." He thanked, eyes shining with happiness.

Elizabeta only laughed, ruffling his hair once more.

"No problem, kiddo."

**XxxX**

Oh my god it's been a few weeks since I updated D:

I'm so sorry to keep you waiting for this chapter! But I'm just finishing this at like 1:30 a.m, and I really wanted to get this chapter out tonight.

So here I am.

Love me ;3;

But as always, reviews are greatly appreciated and I hope you enjoyed~

–Jaysen


	4. Chapter 4

Most people think of a court as a big room with a judge and a suspect, only to lead to certain drama. And this was, naturally, what Ivan had expected when Katyusha mentioned court.

Oh, but this, was much different from what he had first expected.

No, _court, _in the department of child support, was much different. It was simply a conference room where divorced parents and their attorney settled things such as monthly pay. There wasn't even a judge involved, unless two couldn't agree on a reasonable amount of money. And, thankfully, this wasn't Ivan's case.

But why was he even here?

See, money had been running tightly in the Braginsky household, and the three were struggling to make ends meet. Katyusha was just a college student who carried Ivan and Natalia's title of Legal Guardian, but still being an undergraduate the state would only pay her so much, and student loans would only get her so far. She'd been trying to make things better for weeks now, and Ivan genuinely felt bad for his sister. She did so much to make sure Ivan and his younger sister were taken care of.

She deserved much more than she received, he thought.

But this wasn't the first time Ivan had been here. He was practically on first-name basis with everyone who worked in the child support office, and even a few employees from other departments of the DHS office. It was a rather hectic place to be in Ivan's opinion, though he'd heard from attorneys that the child support department wasn't as chaotic as some other segments of the entire office. He'd been told he was lucky to only be in a minor situation like this, and at least Katyusha couldn't have her custody of Ivan and Natalia taken away since she wasn't abusive in any way, and none of their other relatives were American citizens. He was told that they were just hitting a rough patch, and that thing would get better over time. They'd reassured him that they were going to do everything they could to help their situation, but it still didn't make the Russian feel any better. If anything it made him feel worse, thinking he didn't have the right to sulk around because he knew someone had it worse off.

But sadly, that was how just one of the many systems of DHS seemed to roll, and unfortunately Ivan was a new addition. The Russian sighed and spun himself around in the desk chair of the conference room, fixing his eyes on the engraved glass doors of the courtroom. Tuning out the voices of his older sister and their attorney, Ivan stared out the door, watching numerous people pass by and disappear into many rooms and cubicles that sat just beyond the crystal-clear door.

His mind seemed to go numb until a familiar looking mop of white hair caught his eye, and looking over the boy's rather thin figure and choice of clothing, Ivan concluded it to be someone he knew. Ah, what was his name again? So much had been on his mind lately he could barely remember. But his name came to Ivan's mind immediately as their eyes met for a brief second, before the albino boy scowled ever-so-slightly and whipped his head away.

_What's his problem? It's like he hates me or something, but he does act that way toward everyone… _Ivan thought, watching as Gilbert and another, older-looking girl vanished behind a clouded glass door labeled _Child Welfare._

_Wait, what? Why did he go in there? Why is he even here? _Ivan continued to wonder about the boy, no longer paying attention to whatever was going on in court.

_Maybe he's got more than just an anger issue, I guess. Why am I even wondering about this? I barely know his name and it's none of my business anyway. _The Russian shook his head, sighing and focusing elsewhere outside the door.

**XxxX**

Elizabeta pulled into the crowded parking lot of the office, turning the key out of ignition and leaning back in the car seat. Gilbert stretched and practically rolled out of the car, leaning against the front while he waited for Elizabeta to "escort" him inside.

"Home, sweet home." Gilbert remarked rather sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he pushed open the doors to the office. Elizabeta hit him gently upside the head, laughing.

"C'mon Gil, don't be like that! I worked hard to get you that phone, and this is how you treat me?" She mock-whined, waltzing in front of him.

"Well, I still have to charge the thing." He retorted, not even trying to keep up with her upbeat gait.

"I know, but I'd be excited to get a new phone whether it was charged or not." Elizabeta shrugged, practically dancing down the aisles of cubicles and doors. Gilbert only rolled his eyes, until he caught a glimpse inside on of the child support courtrooms.

_Ivan._

Why the hell was he here, of all places? Gilbert quickly looked away, resuming his conversation with Elizabeta.

"I guess, but I can't really use a phone that's dead."

"Sure you can! I mean, you can show it off to people."

The German gave a falsely frustrated sigh. "You know I'm not that kind of person."

"Uh-huh, _sure. _I know you, Gil, you're plenty a show off—"

"Yeah, and like you're not." He interrupted, trying to conceal a laugh.

"Hey! I never said I wasn't! And for the record, I'm actually a modest person!"

"Uh-huh, _sure." _Gilbert retorted sarcastically, imitating her earlier words.

Elizabeta sighed, opening the door and shoving him into her office. Gilbert stumbled in, looking over his shoulder.

"Rude!"

She only scoffed, sitting in her desk chair. Gilbert himself sat across from her in his own chair, spinning himself around. He stopped to face her, crossing his arms.

"So why am I here, exactly?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Besides the phone and Lud, and everything."

"I just want to know how you're settling in lately. I know it's hard for you to move all the time, especially with school starting up. Do you like it here?" Elizabeta asked, her joking tone melting away with her words.

Gilbert paused for a moment, shrugging. "I dunno. I mean, the place is nice and everything. School is okay too, I mean I don't have any friends but I'm not being bullied or anything like that." He admitted, sitting up a little straighter in the chair.

"My foster parent's _okay. _He's always off on business for whatever job he has and if he is home he usually leaves me alone, which I don't mind. Not the most heartwarming person, but I'm sixteen, not five. I can take care of myself."

Elizabeta was silent for a moment, as if contemplating everything he'd just told her.

"Look, Gil, I'm not saying you can't take care of yourself. And as much as I'd love to put you in an independent living program, that's not much of an option right now, and you know it. We've been through this more than once. You are sixteen, but you're _only _sixteen, so you're barely old enough to be in the program. And besides, until we can get those felonies cleared from your record, the state's not going to pay you enough to support yourself without a job. And between school and what's still on your record, you're not going to be able to get a job. It's just how the system works."

"Than fuck the system!" Gilbert bit his lip, rolling his eyes.

"_Language_, Gilbert Beilschmidt. These walls are thin as paper and I'm not about to get in trouble with my boss again." She scolded, shaking her head.

"Yeah, but I honestly don't understand why _I'm _the one who can't be upset about this. I was framed for most of those felonies anyway, and I bet the judge knew that too. But everyone blames it on the foster kid. The judge even said it, that the older they get the worse they become. So I don't understand why I'm not allowed to accept the fact that nobody actually wants to adopt me. They want the young kids so they can spend more time with them, but me? Hell, two years and I'll be an adult. Two years and I'll be totally out of the system. So—"

"Your brother got adopted, and he's only three years younger than you."

"And so, what does that make him now, thirteen, fourteen? He's still plenty young, Liz. And he was only ten when they adopted him. Besides, do you really think someone will adopt now? So I don't get why I can just get into independent living and get all this shit over with." Gilbert finished, leaning back in his chair and spinning so his back was turned to Elizabeta.

She paused for a long moment, sighing. "Gil, you're a great kid, and it makes me sad that not very many people can see that. It makes me sad that _you _can't see that. But I'm not just going to _give up _on you. You're like a little brother to me, not just another client. And someone is bound to make a an effort to get to know you, but you're going to have to learn how to let them in. It'll get you a lot farther in life." She paused for another short moment, thinking of other things to say.

"I'll tell you what. If no one has taken you by the time you're eighteen, than me and Rod will talk about letting you in our family. I'd gladly take you in, but more as an older sister, and you can live by yourself if you want to. Alright? But you have to promise me that you'll make an effort these next two years." She finished, waiting for his response.

Gilbert looked over his shoulder before spinning back around in the office chair, biting his lip once more.

"Sorry, Liz. But you've got yourself a deal." He answered after a moment, giving her a light smile.

She returned the smile. "Great. Also, I was wondering if you'd like to stay with me and Rod tonight, we're fostering a little girl named Lily and I think you'd like to meet her. She's quite new to the system, and until we can get Lily and her brother reunited, we'll be taking care of her." Eliza explained, shrugging slightly.

"She's almost eight, but I think you two would get along well."

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind staying with you guys. I'd like to meet her, though, I really would."

**XxxX**

How long had they been here? Ivan couldn't decipher the amount of time they'd spent in this court room. He didn't understand why he had to come with Katyusha to these meetings, what was the point? He was rarely a part of court any time he came. What was he supposed to be, a witness? Maybe that was it, but he still hated to sit around and do nothing for a few hours.

It was only when his older sister ruffled his hair that he snapped out of his daze, looking to her as he motioned her to follow him.

They were leaving, finally.

Smiling, Ivan got up from the office chair and eagerly followed his two sisters.

"How'd it go?" He asked Katyusha, as they passed by that child welfare office. He could see Gilbert and the other girl talking, but what about?

It wasn't his business anyway, so he pushed the thought away.

"Were you even paying attention? Typical you." Katyusha giggled.

"But it did go well! The state upped my pay, and since I found a better job the independent living program is helping me pay for college." She explained, pushing the door of the office open.

"Hopefully things won't be as tight as they were, but we're still on a budget." Katyusha sighed, fishing her Keys from her pocket.

"But aren't a lot of people? Things will surely get better soon."

Hopefully so," Ivan agreed, looking back at the office once more.

"Hopefully so."

Hey you guys! Sorry for the really late chapter update. I've recently started another story (the chapter should be up later today), and I would really appreciate it if you all would check it out sometime! You can also get updates and sneak peaks of my fanfiction on my tumblr (icecream-you-scream). Summer's well underway so get ready to see a lot of updates, since I don't usually do much during the summer. Constructive criticism is always welcome, and I hope you like the story so far!


	5. Chapter 5

The weekend had gone by uneventful, and, surprisingly quite peaceful for Gilbert. Elizabeta sure was one to make sure he stayed out of trouble— and he did feel a bit more at home with her anyway. Not only that, but she was right about him and Lily getting along well. They were in much of the same situation, both separated from their siblings. She was a bit shy at first, but in no time at all she'd warmed up to Gilbert and even trailed behind him wherever he went.

As for having to go back to school, Gilbert couldn't have been any more unenthusiastic. It was one thing for Elizabeta to see him generally happy, but aside from being one of the only people he shared that side of himself with, it made no exception for the attitude he gave everyone else.

She'd even offered to take him to school along with Lily, but after a moment's hesitation and two cups of black coffee, he'd taken her up on the opportunity. He didn't have much of a choice anyway, continuously being on probation since last year, Gilbert wasn't allowed to drive at all.

Not that he knew how to, anyway.

First to be dropped off was Lily, who was obviously a bit afraid of facing her first day of school alone. Though Gilbert was more than just a little tired, he was able to talk her into getting out of the car and promised to visit later.

Slouching down in the passengers seat, Gilbert set his feet up on the dashboard, earning a look from Elizabeta.

"Really, Gil? Feet off, this is a company car."

Gilbert only laughed, not moving an inch. "I don't think it's still valid enough for you to use this 'company car' shit on me, I mean, I can't even see the floorboards. Now that I think of it, this car hasn't even come close to clean since they gave it to you." He retorted, shrugging.

Elizabeta punched him playfully in the shoulder, trying to hold back a laugh.

"Oh, shut up! Who are you to tell me how to take care of my car, you don't even know how to drive!"

"Pff, whatever. I'll learn how to drive one day and I bet you I'll have the cleanest car on the face of the earth." Gilbert scoffed, pulling the felt of the seatbelt.

Elizabeta only rolled her eyes.

"Actually, I can't really argue with you on that one. You don't act like it but you really are one of the most organized people I've ever known." She paused for a moment, taking her eyes off the road for a split second to pick at her nails.

"I guess that's one thing you and Roderich have in common."

"Hey! Don't compare me to your classical excuse of a boyfriend. We have more differences than similarities, so it would really help me if you'd stop trying to find things we have in common."

Eliza ignored his statement, turning back to the steering wheel.

"Did you get any sleep this weekend?"

Gilbert shrugged, giving her a strange look at her question.

"Barely? Why are you so concerned about it?"

"And there's the reason your grades suck!" She shook her head.

"You've been sleeping in class, have you not?" Elizabeta looked at him from the corner of her eye, pulling into the school parking lot.

"Maybe?"

"Well you need to stop, alright? Just get through today… okay? I'll pick you up again this weekend and we can talk about Lud." Her eyes flashed with concern for a moment, before she smiled and ruffled his hair as Gilbert fumbled with the seatbelt buckle, trying to sling his backpack over his shoulder.

"Now get out of my car, kiddo. I gotta get to work."

The German only rolled his eyes at the nickname she often used for him, stumbling out of the car and stretching to yawn, before starting to jog to the entrance.

"Text me if you need anything!" She called, before putting the car back in gear.

"You need to stop worrying, the last thing I want is for you to turn into Roderich!"

XxxX

Gilbert had done the very thing Eliza had asked him not to do, sleep in class. In fact, he'd done it most of the day, even skipping lunch just to rest his head on a textbook and close his eyes.

Damn, when was the last time he'd gotten a full nights sleep? He couldn't even remember.

He was only fully awake during creative writing, seeming to perk up at the dread of a new assignment.

Group projects.

And even worse, he'd been paired with Ivan. Of all people, why him? It was his creative writing teacher who wanted them to be friends. Gilbert didn't quite know why he disliked the Russian, but he did naturally act that way toward everyone. Maybe it was the fact that he'd actually tried to be nice, and Gilbert wasn't used to that. But maybe Eliza was right, he just had to let people in. Well, he wasn't going to make that an easy task, but there was no way he was doing all the work in this project. Besides, it was kind of impossible to do it by himself anyway.

The assignment was, strangely enough, to design a character that combined traits from each partner, and write a timeline for them.

Well, that was easier said than done.

The first moments of awkward silence consisted of Gilbert absentmindedly plugging his earbuds in and resting his dirty sneaker-clad feet on the desk. He laid his head back to look up at the ceiling, before turning to to face the Russian.

"Honestly, I don't understand how we're supposed to make this character shit up. We're two different people, am I right?" Gilbert said, his voice laced with an annoyed tone. He pulled his writing book out, opening it and erasing the single-stanza poem he had written just days earlier.

Ivan's gaze shifted to read the poem just before Gilbert finished erasing, but even then his handwriting was too dark to disappear completely.

He tasted life's bitter cup,

Refused to drink the portion up.

But turned his crimson gaze aside,

Disgusted with the taste and died.

"Your poem, it's really good." The words fell from Ivan's mouth before he could stop them.

But Gilbert's reaction was a little more mixed than he expected it to be. The German paused, his pale cheeks dusted lightly with pink. Honestly, he didn't know whether to except the compliment or be mad because Ivan had read his poem.

Damn, social skills. Gilbert could've sworn he had some, somewhere in the back of his clouded mess of a mind. But even if he did, he'd never learned how to use them.

"Thank you?" The statement came out in more of a question, and he shut his book with a bit more force than he wanted to, awkwardly pursing his lips.

"But really, why the hell would you have read it? Obviously if I had erased it I wouldn't have wanted anyone to read it." He raised an eyebrow.

"Just curious, I guess." Ivan shrugged, twirling his pencil between his fingers.

"But if you didn't want anyone to read it, maybe you shouldn't write so dark next time. I can still see it." His voice held an absentminded tone. Usually Ivan was rather shy, but he couldn't stand people like Gilbert. Rude, always trying to make an argument. He could become quite sarcastic and boastful around people like Gilbert.

Obviously, this was not the kind of attitude Gilbert was used to hearing from someone of Ivan's type, so it infuriated him in the slightest.

But, in attempts to break the awkward silence between them, Gilbert forced the question.

"Hey, why were you at the DHS office on Friday?" He asked, a hint of genuine curiosity stirred through his words.

Ivan paused for a moment, albeit a bit confused at the question. He wasn't as willing to give him an answer as he was, to top Gilbert's question, with another question.

"Reasons. But my question is, why were you there on Friday? I've never seen you there before."

Gilbert only laughed for a short moment, brushing his bangs from his face.

"Are you kidding me? I practically rule the place. Well, child welfare at least. I was transferred to this part of the state a couple months ago."

"Transferred? Why are you in child welfare anyway?" Ivan asked, his attention now fully focused on the smaller male sitting across from him.

Gilbert only laughed once more.

"Wow, you're funny. Why should I tell you when you're not willing to tell me why you're in child support? I think child welfare explains it enough, and we don't have time for a life story. Not that I would tell you anyway, I barely know you."

"…You have a point there. I guess that's another story, if we're ever anything more than total strangers."

"Pff, like that'll ever happen." Gilbert rolled his eyes.

"You'd be lucky that I'm even trying to get along with you. The only reason is, I refuse to do this project alone. And I have enough empathy to think of how someone would feel if I made them do all the work."

Gilbert flipped his bangs from his face once more.

"And so, I guess this is the part in which we actually start working."

At which point, the bell rang. Many students were eager and quick to jump up as it was the end of the day, but Gilbert only bit his lip and shifted in his seat, going a little tense.

He didn't want to go home. Any place was better than home, even school.

Ivan noticed this as he got up to leave and paused a moment, looking back at Gilbert.

He was obviously uncomfortable with something.

"Hey, you want to come to my house to work on the project? I wouldn't mind it, and it would give us some more time to figure out what we're going to do for the assignment." Ivan asked, waiting for a response from the other male.

Gilbert noticeably relaxed, a relieved smile crossing his pale lips.

"Actually, if you wouldn't mind, could I?" He asked, biting his lip.

Maybe trying to make friends wasn't so bad, but it still wasn't much of his forte.

At least, someone was actually making the effort to talk to him, even after he'd basically told them to fuck off.

Ivan smiled lightly, nodding.

"I wouldn't mind at all."

GAH I'm so sorry this chapter is short and welllllll overdue. School has been quite stressful as of late, and I haven't had much motivation to write, unfortunately.

But I have nine days off for thanksgiving break and I really have nothing better to do…

But I'm also plotting another story! Another reason why I haven't updated was because I read the whole Maximum Ride series in like, three weeks (I'm such a weeb).

And I just recently finished The Lightning Thief and the graphic novel for Rick Riordan's 'The Red Pyramid'. (Which was really good, both the book and the graphic novel.)

But I'll stop babbling about how much of a fucking book nerd I am and cut to the chase.

I wanted to make a Maximum Ride AU for RusPrus, go figure.

Max and Fang just really remind me of those two and gaaaaaah.

And if you haven't read Maximum Ride, if you decide to still read my new story than you'll catch on pretty quickly. If you have, kudos to you.

But anyways, I apologize for the long hiatus! I will probably be able to update more as the semester ends.

—Mars


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